Mark Spitz is an American former competitive swimmer who won seven gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, a record that stood for nearly three decades until Michael Phelps shattered it at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where he won eight gold medals. In 1972, he set new world records in all seven events in which he competed, and those records still hold today. He began swimming in the ocean when he was a toddler and was already competing at his local swim club by the age of six. Even before he turned ten, he began training with famed swimming instructor Sherm Chavoor, under whose tutelage he set 17 national age-group records and one world record. He held national high school records in every stroke and distance while he was a teenager, and he competed in his first international tournament, the Maccabiah Games, when he was 15 years old. As he went on to win five gold medals at the 1967 Pan American Games, his reputation as a world-class swimmer developed significantly. In addition to the two gold medals he won at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, he won seven gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. He became a business spokesperson and motivational speaker after retiring from professional swimming.
Childhood and Adolescence
Mark Andrew Spitz was the first of Arnold and Lenore (Smith) Spitz’s three children, born on February 10, 1950, in Modesto, California. His father worked for a steel firm as an executive. He began swimming as a toddler under the supervision of his father, as he was born with a passion for the water. He participated at his local swim club and joined the Arden Hills Swim Club in Sacramento with swimming teacher Sherm Chavoor when he was a little lad.
He was a child prodigy, setting 17 national age-group records and one world record before he was ten years old. He began training with Santa Clara Swim Club coach George F. Haines when he was 14 years old. He went to Santa Clara High School from 1964 to 1968, when he set national high school records in every stroke and distance throughout his four years there.
Career of Mark Spitz
He competed in his first international competition in 1965, the Maccabiah Games, winning four gold medals and was voted the most outstanding athlete. In the age of 16, he won the 100 meter butterfly at the AAU national championships in 1966. At the 1967 Pan American Games, he won five gold medals, a world record at the time.
He put in long hours of training for the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, confident that he would win six gold medals. His individual performance, on the other hand, was not as impressive, as he only managed to win two team gold medals: the 4100 meter freestyle relay and the 4200 meter freestyle relay. He also finished second in the 100-meter butterfly and third in the 100-meter freestyle.
Disappointed by his Olympic performance, the motivated young man enrolled as a pre-dental student at Indiana University in 1968, largely to train under famed Indiana Hoosiers swimming coach Doc Counsilman. Mark Spitz’s form improved dramatically as a result of Counsilman’s coaching, and he was better prepared for the 1972 Olympics.
At the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Spitz made history by winning seven Olympic gold medals in individual and team competitions, as well as setting new world records in each of the seven events. He surpassed his own prediction of earning six gold medals by doing so.
He became a sporting superstar as a result of his Olympic achievements, but the young guy announced his retirement soon after. He retired from competitive swimming at the age of 22 to pursue other employment opportunities. As a well-known sports figure, he was able to secure rich commercial possibilities, and by 1974, he had earned $6 million from endorsements and other partnerships.
With time, his fame began to wane, and he began to look for other opportunities. He tried his hand at show business while he was young, attractive, and well-known. Spitz appeared on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson’ and ‘The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour’ on television in 1973–74. He has appeared in a number of advertisements for Schick razors.
He joined ABC Sports in 1976 and has worked on a variety of sports shows, including coverage of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. After a few years as a broadcaster, he decided to pursue a career in real estate. He has had tremendous success as a motivational speaker and has pursued many entrepreneurial initiatives with former NBA player Rick Barry over the years.
Achievements & Awards
In 1967, 1971, and 1972, Mark Spitz was named World Swimmer of the Year by the magazine ‘Swimming World.’
In 1971, he was named the top amateur athlete in the United States, receiving the James E. Sullivan Award.
He was selected the Associated Press Swimming Athlete of the Year in 1972.
He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1977, as well as the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1979 and the United States Olympic Hall of Fame in 1980. (1983).
Personal History and Legacy
Before marrying Suzy Weiner, a UCLA theater student and part-time model, he dated her for a while. Matthew and Justin are the couple’s two kids.
Estimated Net Worth
Mark Spitz is a former Olympic champion swimmer from the United States with a net worth of $20 million. Mark is one of the most accomplished and well-liked Olympians in American history.
Trivia
This nine-time Olympic swimmer had a prominent moustache that was considered his hallmark.
His colleagues dubbed him “Mark the Shark” after his repeated Olympic gold medals.